Embodiments of the subject matter described herein relate to pluggable electronics cards for use with computing assemblies.
Various types of computing assemblies exist today such as servers, laptop computers, desktop computers and the like. At least some convention computing assemblies include receptacles in the chassis that are shaped and dimensioned to receive various types of pluggable electronics cards. By way of example only, various types of input/output (I/O) cards can be plugged into receptacles in servers. The I/O cards connect to one or more circuit boards within the server. Examples of I/O cards or modules include peripheral component interconnect (PCI) cards, small form factor pluggable (SPF) cards and the like. The I/O cards connect to corresponding circuit boards within the server chassis in various manners. For example, some I/O cards mate in a co-planar configuration with a mother board such that the circuit boards of the I/O card and the motherboard are generally aligned in a common plane. Other I/O cards mate in a mezzanine configuration with a mother board such that the circuit board of the I/O card is located vertically above or below, and partially stacked on, the circuit board of the mother board. In co-planar configurations, the connector interface between the I/O card and mother board is generally in line with adjacent edges of the I/O card and mother board. In mezzanine configurations, the connector interface between the I/O card and mother board is oriented transverse to the surface of the I/O card and mother board such that the I/O card is positioned at least partially overlapping “on top” or “below” the mother board.
Today, computing assemblies are designated to include numerous types of I/O interfaces located proximate to one another in relatively small areas. For example, a server may include multiple rows of connector receptacles, where sets of connector receptacles in each row are provided on corresponding I/O cards. The I/O cards are connected at multiple locations (and in multiple orientations) to circuit boards within the server. Consequently, server assemblies (and other types of computing assemblies) have numerous specification limitations regarding various mechanical and performance characteristics of I/O cards. One mechanical specification limitation placed on I/O cards concerns the physical envelope or outer size dimensions of the I/O card. Each I/O card is provided a limited amount of real estate within the server chassis. Another specification limitation concerns the heat dissipation performance in order to avoid overheating the I/O card and the surrounding electronics. Another specification limit concerns electromagnetic interference (EMI) isolation in order to avoid EM interference between the various electronics.